


Drowning in a Burning Lake

by drarryangels



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, First Kiss, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Getting Together, Kisses, M/M, Sweet, THAT lake scene, The Great Lake | The Black Lake (Harry Potter), Triwizard Tournament, friends - Freeform, second task
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-05
Updated: 2020-05-03
Packaged: 2021-02-28 17:41:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,082
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23031106
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/drarryangels/pseuds/drarryangels
Summary: Things have been different since Harry accepted Draco's handshake in first year. Now, it's fourth year and Harry has unexpectedly been thrown into the Triwizard Tournament, where he is now required to hold his breath for an hour underwater while recovering some unknown lost belonging. Despite the fact that he has 24 hours before he's expected to complete the second task, Harry is confident that he and Draco will find a way for him to breath underwater. That is, until Draco is called away by Snape late that night, and doesn't return. Which leaves Harry to get through the second task and find Draco, alone.-A short AU fic where Draco is Harry's person at the bottom of the lake.
Relationships: Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter
Comments: 45
Kudos: 525





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is made up of short chapters, which were originally installments on Tumblr.

“I told you to finish that essay last night, Harry,” Draco snorted and sprawled back into the best armchair by the fire. Harry rolled his eyes and flopped on top of Draco. 

“And I told you that I wasn’t going to do it,” Harry shrugged, wriggling Draco over so he could squash in next to him on the armchair. 

“What are you doing?” Draco snapped, trying to shove Harry off the chair. Harry shoved him back lightheartedly and settled deeper into the chair, swinging his legs over an arm of the chair and pushing the rest of his weight on Draco’s lap. 

“Getting comfortable,” Harry grinned and buried his hair in between the cushions and Draco’s ribs. 

“Mmf,” Draco grunted and rolled his eyes. “Are you ready for the second task tomorrow?”

Harry’s smile immediately dropped and he stopped wiggling. “No,” he said quietly. “I’ve figured out the egg’s clue-”

“I’m aware.”

“Shut it. I figured out the clue, but I still have no idea how I’m supposed to hold my breath for an hour in the Great Lake,” Harry sighed. “Don’t tell Hermione. I told her I’d figured it out weeks ago.”

Draco shook his head and looked at Harry pityingly. “I’m fairly sure Hermione saw through your lie.”

“What lie?” Hermione asked, coming up to stand next to the armchair and looking down at Harry and Draco tangled up on the armchair. 

“Harry forgot to do the three foot essay that’s due tomorrow,” Draco said smoothly, exchanging an exasperated look with Hermione. She shook her head and patted him on the shoulder before turning to shoot Harry a disappointed glare as she readjusted the bag at her shoulder and headed up the stairs to the girls’ dormitory. “You’re welcome,” Draco smirked. 

“Can we focus?” Harry said, his face still serious. “I’m likely going to drown tomorrow.”

“So?” Draco teased. Harry rolled off Draco and moved over to the couch, which was further from the fire, but also from Draco. Draco let his smile fall away. “Okay, I’m sorry. What can I do to help?”

Harry rubbed his eyes. “Nothing I don’t think. Sorry Draco, I didn’t mean to snap at you.”

Draco looked longingly at the proximity of the fire and then pushed himself off of the armchair to join Harry on the couch. “It’s fine.”

The two sat in silence together until the embers in the fire slowly died away. At some point, Draco wilted to sleep on Harry’s shoulder. No matter how hard he tried though, Harry couldn’t will his body to shut down. His eyelids drooped closed and his muscles relaxed into Draco’s frame next to him, but all he could think of was the suffocating weight of lake water over his head and swimming down farther and farther into the green depths of the lake until he was so far down he couldn’t tell which way was up and which was down. The lake took on a hazy quality, turning gray, and then green, and blue. A flash of blonde hair caught his eye and Harry swirled in the water, reaching for the glimpse in the darkness. 

A tapping finger woke him, snapping him abruptly into gasping spurts of air. Harry immediately turned, his hands reaching automatically for Draco, who was still sleeping beside him. He breathed a subconscious sigh of relief before looking to see the person who had woken him. 

A little first year watched him nervously. “Mr. Potter?”

Harry tried to smile, even though the panic of a nightmare was still settled in his stomach. “Just Harry. Do you need anything?”

“Er, I actually need him.” The first year blushed and pointed to Draco. “But…”

“You didn’t want to have to wake him up?” Harry smiled in understanding, the residue of his dreams finally falling away. “I don’t blame you.”

Harry gently shook Draco’s shoulder, leaning away slightly to avoid the inevitable flailing of Draco’s arms when he woke up. Of course, as soon as grey irises poked underneath nearly translucent eyelids, Draco’s hands swatted blindly. Harry grabbed Draco’s wrists with a short huff of laughter. With the sound, Draco stilled and sat up blearily. 

“What is it, you idiotic buffoon?” Draco mumbled, wriggling his wrists free of Harry’s hands. Harry chanced a glance to the first year, who looked thoroughly frightened. 

“You’re needed,” Harry said quietly. A small dribble of spit was smeared at the corner of Draco’s mouth, and Harry wiped it away with his thumb without thinking about it. Draco’s eyes whipped to him, alarmed and startled. Harry turned red and looked away before he could see any more of Draco’s reaction. 

“What for?” Draco asked after a long moment, his voice still rusted from sleep. 

“Professor Snape called for you,” the first year finally piped up. “For the second task.”

Draco turned and glared at the small boy. “I’m not a champion.” Harry elbowed him in the side. 

“Professor Snape requested for you.” The boy seemed to be shrinking before their eyes. Harry stood and reached down to pull Draco up. “Just Malfoy,” he interjected, looking anxiously between them. Harry smiled kindly while Draco’s stare intensified. No stepping on Draco’s toes or poking him in the shoulder would loosen the cruel twist of his lips. 

Harry sat and shoved Draco up, who aimed his sneer around to Harry. 

“I’m just the messenger,” the first year squeaked, and then sprinted off, unwilling to stick around for whatever came out of Draco’s mouth next. 

“Go, Draco,” Harry rolled his eyes before Draco could get started on his dramatics. “He probably wants to make sure you’re not helping me.”

Draco snorted. “So self absorbed. Besides, everyone cheats.”

“I don’t think it’s about the cheating,” Harry smirked and knocked his foot into Draco’s calf. “I’m pretty sure it’s more about giving me as much of a disadvantage as possible. If you’re with me, I could have a chance at winning.”

Draco shoved Harry before starting towards the portrait hole. “Weren’t we just talking about how you were going to drown?” Harry threw a pillow at him. “Doesn’t seem like the move of a winner, if you ask me.”

“No one did!” Harry called while Draco disappeared with one last smile. 

Harry settled into the couch and stared happily into the burnt out hearth. Maybe he was going to drown tomorrow, but he couldn’t bring himself to care. He’d figure it out somehow. Draco would probably be back in an hour or so, and they could spend the rest of the night ruffling through the library under the Invisibility Cloak. 

Harry knew that he was so doomed for the second task, and that he had no chance of winning. Probably no choice of surviving without swallowing enough lake water to keep him hydrated for the rest of his life. Of course, he could die trying to hold his breath for an hour. But the thought of Draco sleeping against him and smiling over his shoulder unwound all the anxiety that had filled Harry’s head earlier. 

He would be okay with Draco.


	2. Chapter 2

Draco was nowhere to be seen, and Harry was sure that he was about to die. Harry had fallen into another restless sleep last night after Draco had left with the assurance that he would be back soon, but when he had woken up, Draco was still gone and the sun was rising on the morning of Harry’s inevitable death by drowning. Last night spending an hour in the Great Lake had seemed laughable. 

Harry forced a crick out of his neck as he wobbled his way down the boardwalk towards the lake, where towering stands had been put in place to watch the event. 

“Harry Potter!” A voice squeaked behind him. Harry shook his head. He didn’t have the time to deal with any admiring students trying to get his signature right now. At the moment, all he could focus on was racking through his brain for any spell that might help him this close to the start of the second task. “Harry Potter!” 

Harry whirled, forcibly calming his voice to a normal speaking tone. “Yes?”

A Slytherin third year stood in front of him, out of breath and flustered. “Sorry,” she gasped. “I was sent to give you this package.” She held out a soggy package with a grimy note stapled to the top. 

“Who is it from?” Harry squinted. 

“Draco Malfoy,” the girl said and held the package out further. “He sent me last night, but I couldn’t get into your common room. I was waiting all night for you to come out. You’re lucky I waited for so long.”

“Did you read the note?” Harry asked. The girl had a glint in her eyes that was far too knowing for Harry’s liking. 

“Of course I did,” she rolled her eyes. “I was sorted into Slytherin for a reason. I wouldn’t deliver the stupid package unless Draco told me what it was for.”

“So you know him?” Harry lurched forward and grabbed the girl’s slender shoulders. He would not take that package unless he knew for sure it was from Draco; he was determined not to get sabotaged in this ridiculous task.

“Yes, I know him.” The girl rolled her eyes. “He hogs the best couch around the clock. I’ve never seen him with his arse off of it.”

Harry grinned and let go of the girl’s shoulders. Draco’s habit of never getting farther than ten feet from a crackling fire was too familiar and a relieving warmth washed through Harry’s chest. 

“Sorry for grabbing you,” Harry said, patting her arm. “Bit stressed.”

“Take the package already. It’s dripping.”

Harry smiled apologetically and took the little package and note before the girl could run off. He shouted a thanks over his shoulder as she disappeared into the throngs of students traveling to the stands in the Great Lake. 

A booming voice pierced the air, announcing the ten minute mark before the second task began. Dread flooded Harry’s stomach, and he started forwards to the champions tent while clutching the slimy paper close to his chest. 

Before he entered the tent, Harry pulled the note free of wet brown paper and sighed at the shapes of Draco’s letters in a hurried scrawl. 

_Can’t believe I didn’t think of this. Thank Merlin for Snape’s poor timing! Gillyweed from potions stores. Good luck._

Harry stared at the note. Was he supposed to use whatever was in the package for the second task? Possibly a potion that could make him breathe underwater? But Draco had looked through all of the potions books in the Hogwarts library, and even some that he had asked his mother to send from home, and there was nothing. Harry didn’t think there was any potions that could escape Draco’s notice, especially not if they were right in front of his face in a book. So it couldn’t be a potion. 

Harry hoped Draco was already bundled up in the stands and that he’d only sent the package with a third year because he’d been too lazy to climb back up Gryffindor Tower. He couldn’t think of any other reason why Draco wouldn’t deliver the package himself. 

Harry swallowed sharply and peeled open the paper, tucking the note into his pocket. Slimy worms greeted him, flopping limply in the facets of his hand. Harry tried to swallow again, and found that he couldn’t. 

Time after that went both far too slowly, and far too quickly. Ludo Bagman offered him a leg up behind a tent and Fleur combed her silver sheet of hair harshly. Dumbledore led them to the edge of a boardwalk and lined them up while Cedric Diggory shook out his arms and legs as if he was preparing to run right across the top of the lake. Then the other champions were casting charms and spells, and Harry was swallowing the gillyweed. 

Harry choked and hunched over. Someone shoved him into the lake and everything went momentarily dark. 


	3. Chapter 3

The water was cool when Harry smacked into it, headfirst. He had expected freezing laps of lake water over his head, but something, either magic or adrenaline, had made the temperature bearable. It was dark, too. Dark and green and unfathomably deep. Harry couldn't see the bottom, much less anything that might be considered something he’d sorely miss. Harry looked up to the filtering light that had faded away above him. He'd been under for too long already; too long to breathe.

And he could breathe. Harry's hands flew to his neck, fingering along the edges of what could only be gills. _Draco Malfoy_ , Harry thought with a rueful smile, _you brilliant bastard_. The gillyweed had given him gills and webs and flippers, and Harry could see. Really see. Harry was sure that if he took his glasses off now, he'd still be able to see through inky water to threadbare seaweed and the trilling creatures closing in around him. It was magnificent, however terrifying.

Harry let himself sink slowly. Water ran over his head and through his gills. If he ignored the fact that he was supposed to be finding his most treasured possession at the bottom of a sinister lake, the atmosphere was actually quite peaceful. Harry's head snapped up and cold water swiped through his gills. _The second task_. He’d nearly forgotten in the revelation that Draco had delivered to him a way to transform into some sort of fish human hybrid. Harry looked at his watch frantically. It had stopped working.

How much time had he wasted? He had no idea how long this gillyweed would last; it could last for the allotted hour of the second task, or Harry might find himself stranded underwater within the next two minutes. Harry hoped Draco wouldn't overestimate him. He would give him enough time. Regardless, Harry darted forward in the water, propelled into the darkness by the flippers his feet had molded into.

Time passed. Harry had no idea how much of it, but he could feel the seconds slipping away with each meter he descended. He wished his friends were here: Ron, Hermione, Draco. He hadn't realized so acutely until now how badly he needed them. How badly he wanted them here by his side. Harry shook his head violently, the action slowed by water. He needed to stay focused.

Something latched onto his ankle, and Harry kicked out blindly. His legs flailed awkwardly before connecting with a small body. Harry whirled, but nothing drifted behind him. Unease settled in his stomach, and Harry pushed forward before panic could work its way into his head.

He went deeper, and the time kept passing. Occasionally something would brush his leg or grip onto his shirt, but every time Harry turned, he was met with the same empty expanse of green stillness.

As Harry pushed aside a stalk of seaweed, a shriek muffled through space. Harry turned and turned, but there was nothing. Further, and there was singing. Eerie, horrible singing. Just like inside the egg. Harry swam faster. He wanted to get out of this bloody lake.

It wasn't long before a mermaid flashed by him, knocking Harry off balance with the force of its current. Harry didn't pause, just righted himself and chased after the mermaid. He didn't care if it was a trap, though he hoped it wasn't. He needed to get out of here as soon as he could with whatever he needed to complete the task. The water, as open as it might've been, was suffocating and close even with the gillyweed opening up his lungs.

He followed the mermaid, uglier and crueler than the painting in the Prefects' bathroom, until he had reached a town of sorts. At the end of a long path lined by more mermaids, were four bodies tied by their ankles to the sandy bottom of the lake. Harry hurtled forward, not bothering to slow down when a mermaid darted in front of him, and stopped in front of the bodies.

Harry paused and drifted as he stared. There was a girl, eleven years old at the most, with silvery hair clouding around her pale face. There was Cho Chang, surrounded by inky hair and robes. And Hermione. The tilt of her eyebrows was unmistakable through her hair. And last. Short blonde hair spun like silk, out of its usual perfect style. A boy, standing apart from the three girls tied beside him. _Draco._

Harry moved forward, slower this time. His hand reached out to Draco’s face, dark brown contrasting with Draco’s cheek in a sick detached sort of way. Harry hardly recognized the hand as his own, but he knew Draco. His mouth, relaxed and slightly open. The bridge of his nose and the curve of his collarbone, visible where his robes had shifted out of place.

Harry might’ve thought that replicas of these people had been put underwater for the task. He couldn’t imagine Dumbledore allowing students to be drowned and held hostage by the gruesome mermaids simply for this tournament. But Draco’s wrist was warm when Harry brought his hand down to it, and his face was too familiar. A replica would not have been able to recreate this face the way Harry knew it.

Then he realized, _we’ve taken what you’ll sorely miss_. This is what he would miss. Not what, but who. He would sorely miss Draco. Harry looked away for a moment, to Hermione. But wouldn’t he miss Hermione too? And what about Ron? He would miss both of them as much as he would miss Draco. Of course, he would miss Draco slightly differently what with... well, all the stomach swooping and the like. But even so, he would miss all of them dearly. So how had Draco been chosen for this?

And what if his treasured person wasn’t Draco at all? Could he be down here for Hermione? How was he supposed to know if he was supposed to take both of them or leave one? He couldn’t leave one, he knew he couldn’t. 

Harry checked his watch again fruitlessly and looked around. There was no one in sight but him and the four people tied to the bottom. So he’d wait. 

Harry held onto the sleeve of Draco’s robe, looser in the water, and waited. 

Someone would have to come for the others eventually. 


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took me so long to get around to this next chapter! I've been consumed by Camp NaNoWriMo, but I'm going to try and finish this fic up soon :)

Harry waited. And waited. Waited longer. 

The water grew darker with each passing second, but still he waited. Merpeople drifted around him, sneering and hissing at him through the water. Harry waited and held onto Draco's sleeve tightly. His fingers grew numb clenched around the fabric, so he switched to holding Draco's wrist. It was warmer that way. 

Harry couldn't tell if he'd been here for hours, or if the time was passing slower in the silent lull of lake water. 

He watched Hermione's face carefully, and then Draco's. The Ravenclaw seeker, Cho Chang. The girl who must be related to Fleur. They all floated, their limbs relaxed and loose. _It must be some spell_ , Harry thought. He wondered if any of them even knew where they were, or if they'd just been knocked out and dragged down here. Harry wouldn't have had the thought at all, he trusted Dumbledore, but he had no idea what the judges or heads of the other schools would be willing to do. It didn't matter. 

Harry waited until, finally, a body emerged from the darkness. Harry recognized the yellow emblem immediately: Cedric. He waved wildly to him, beckoning him over, but Cedric didn't hesitate. He pointed his wand at the rope tying Cho to the bottom, and wrapped around her waist to pull her up to the top. Just before he moved completely out of sight, he turned to Harry and tapped his wrist. Harry squinted. Time. He must be running out of time. 

He looked between Draco and Hermione. He couldn't leave either of them here. So he waited. 

A shark head snapped into view not long after Cedric's departure, and Harry recognized the uniform as Krum's. Unlike Cedric, Krum didn't pause for a minute, but simply whirled by, taking Hermione with him. 

Harry was free to go now. Hermione was safe with Krum; no matter what Ron said about Durmstrang, Harry trusted Krum to keep Hermione from harm. The only person left was the silver haired girl. Harry looked between her and Draco. He wasn't sure what would happen to the girl if Fleur didn't get down here before the task was over, but he wasn't willing to risk it. Harry darted forward and grabbed her arm. The merpeople swam forward, glaring and stabbing their spears, but they backed off quickly when Harry pulled out his wand. 

Dragging two bodies up to the surface of a very deep lake turned out to be exceedingly difficult. Harry clung onto Draco and the girl, but with every push up closer to the surface, it felt like they were both slipping out of his grasp. Harry kicked harder and pushed Draco and the girl along with him. He had to make it to the top with both of them. Both Cedric and Krum had finished the task ahead of him, but Harry knew that at least Fleur hadn't done well, so he wouldn't come dead last. Not that it mattered. All that was important was getting to the top. The top, the surface, the light. Harry could see it now. 

Just then, two sharp jabs spiked through the sides of Harry's neck, and he faltered in the water. He tried to inhale, but a thin stream of water choked into his lungs. Harry gagged and subconsciously held on tighter to Draco's arm. He was running out of time. 

Harry kicked out furiously at the water underneath him, but he'd never learned to swim, and the flippers the gillyweed had given him were melting away. The light shimmering from the surface of the lake grew further away, and Harry tried to swim without letting go of Draco and the girl. His lungs burned and his head ached, and it was all he could do not to allow his body to snort more water into his mouth. 

The blaze in Harry's lungs and head rose steadier, and all coherent thoughts edged out. The only thing he could focus on was the blond screen of Draco's hair wavering in front of his face, and the drag of the little girl's robes swiping around his ankles. 

Another sharp pain ran up Harry's neck, and one of his hands flew to the side of his neck. The little girl wafted away and Harry grabbed onto her before she could move out of Harry's reach. But he'd already felt the smoothness on the sides of his neck, and knew that his time was up. All he could do now was push Draco and the little girl up towards the surface and hope that they'd make it. They were only a few feet, give or take, away from the opening air. One last shove upwards would get them to the top, but it would push Harry in the opposite direction. 

Harry hardened his resolve. Draco mattered more, and he was sure that Fleur would be desperate to have this girl back by her side, whoever she was. 

He ignored the heavy blankness settling over him, and thrusted Draco and the girl up one final time. Harry gravitated down into the depths of the lake, the shapes of Draco's dark robes and the girl's pale ones blurring out of sight. Harry could see the surface of the water break, and pushed the rest of the air out of his lungs in relief. They'd made it. Black came swooping in on the fringes of Harry's vision. He might have been imagining it, but he thought he saw a dark blob coming toward him fast. He threw his hands out to protect himself, but the movement was weak, and the blob pushed his hands aside easily. 

Something grabbed onto the back of his uniform, and then he was getting hauled up and up. And then there was air. Harry gasped and coughed, and oxygen seared his throat. Someone was still holding onto his shirt, pulling him close. Harry blinked fiercely, and the someone cleared slightly in front of him. 

"Draco," Harry wheezed. "You're alright."

"You bloody idiot," Draco yelped, and grabbed onto Harry, pulling him into a wild hug. They ducked under the water for a second, but Draco yanked them both up instantly. "Can't you swim?"

Harry laughed through the heaves of his breath. "No."

"Of course you can't," Draco chuckled. Draco twisted his hand in Harry's shirt again, and started treading them back to the shore. Harry tried to kick helpfully, but with the way Draco was panting, Harry didn't think he was being much help. 

As soon as they were in shallow enough that both Harry and Draco could touch, Draco stopped and threw himself on Harry again. Harry didn't mind a bit when they almost went splashing back into the water. People were shouting his name, and there were cheers coming from everywhere, but the only thing Harry could hear was Draco's breath, heavy and close in his ear. Draco's arms gripped around Harry's shoulders. His hair, sticking to Harry's cheek. His heart fluttered frenziedly around his rib cage, and he hugged Draco back tightly. 

"You did it, you buffoon," Draco was whispering, over and over. 

"Wait," Harry said, pulling back suddenly. "What about the girl? Fleur's girl?"

"Oh." Draco pushed tendrils of Harry's hair off of his forehead. Harry tried to ignore the heat rising up his neck. "She's okay. They got her out of the water. I think Fleur's with her now."

"Good," Harry said. "What happened to Fleur in the lake?"

"I don't know," Draco said, shoving Harry. "I just emerged from this bloody lake, same as you."

"Right," Harry laughed. "Come on."

He latched his hand onto the sleeve of Draco's dripping robes, and lead him out of the shallows of the lake. Hermione was waiting for him, bundled up in a thick towel, and she leaped on the two of them as soon as they were out of the water. 

"Oh, thank goodness you're both safe," she said, hugging them both and waving Madame Pomfrey over with blankets and towels. 

She took the blankets from Madame Pomfrey, ignoring her taken aback expression, and threw them over Harry and Draco. One of the blankets got caught over Harry's head, and his vision went dark before a cold hand pulled it back from his face. Harry smiled at Draco gratefully as Hermione continued fussing over them, pulling the blankets tighter, and chattering about the task. 

"I can't believe you figured it out," Hermione said, pulling both of them farther away from the lake, and towards the crowds of people congregating and pressing in around the champions. 

Harry shook his head. "It was all Draco. He figured it out."

He glanced over at Draco to see a smug smile laid out over his face, and Hermione hugged them both again. 

"Well, thank Merlin he did. I don't know what would've happened to you if someone hadn't saved you," Hermione said. 

"Hey!" Harry protested. "I would've figured something out."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Just thank every god that Draco was there, Harry."

"Don't worry, I am," Harry said without hesitation. He pressed his shoulder to Draco's beside him, and grinned at him. Draco's teeth chattered back, and Harry pulled him in under his own blanket.

He tried not to think too hard about it, but it really was quite difficult when Draco's whole body was pressed to Harry's side. Both of them were trembling and still sopping wet, but Harry wouldn't have changed anything if he'd been given a choice. 

Fleur approached them, her hands tight around the girl that Harry had pulled up from the bottom of the lake.

"Thank you," she said, coming up quickly and kissing all over Harry's face. Draco yanked him back, but then Fleur was on him too, pecking his cheeks and forehead. Draco's nose wrinkled in disgust; Harry tried not to snort. "My sister. Thank you."

Harry nodded and smiled until Fleur hurried off, fluttering all over her sister. An elbow jabbed into his side, and Harry started to see Draco glaring at him. 

"What?" Harry said. 

"Why are you staring at her?" Draco demanded. "At Fleur?"

"I wasn't," Harry said truthfully. "I was just thinking how much she and her sister look alike."

"Right," Draco scoffed, ducking out from under Harry's blanket. 

"Draco?" Harry reached out and snagged the edge of his towel, reeling him back in. "What is it?"

"Nothing," Draco said. 

Draco was close. They were face to face now, and Harry could feel the splay of Draco's breath over his cheeks. Draco seemed to realize then how close they were too because he looked up and down at the little space between them, and tried to take a step back. He didn't make it far, Harry was already moving forward to crush him into a rib-cracking embrace. 

"What's this for?" Draco grumbled. 

Harry pulled his head back, kept his arms looped tightly around Draco, and grinned. "I just... am doing what Hermione said."

"And what's that?" Draco raised an eyebrow. 

"Thanking every god that I have you," Harry said, serious. 

Draco's eyebrows dropped and the points of his face softened. His hands lifted to pat Harry on the shoulders, cheek, his head. They came to rest on Harry's forearms, and Harry resisted the urge to pull Draco even closer. 

His stomach was throwing riots and his heart was practically leaping out of his throat. It was a miracle Draco couldn't tell how electrified Harry was being this close to Draco. Or maybe he did know, and he was just generous enough not to say anything about it. 

The screaming from the crowds continued rising around them, and Draco rolled his eyes before removing himself from Harry's reach. Harry's arms lingered in the air, thinking for a second that he was still holding onto Draco. Draco threw a wicked grin over his shoulder, and Harry followed him helplessly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kudos and comments appreciated xo
> 
> You can also find me on Tumblr @drarryangels


	5. Chapter 5

It was only later, when they were away from the screeching crowds and professors and judges and everyone else, that Harry got a chance to speak to Draco again. 

They were settled in the couches of the Gryffindor common room, each buried in their own pile of blankets. Even hours after the second task and a hot shower later, Harry couldn't rid his body of a bone deep chill or the stench of fish. 

Draco's head was propped up on the back of the couch, his eyes half lidded and dim in the cast of firelight. Harry watched him out of the corners of his eyes. For no good reason. It was only that Harry wanted to be close to Draco, but they were sat on opposite ends of the couch, and Harry didn't know how to reach out. 

"Have Hermione and Ronald gone to bed?" Draco rasped. 

"Yeah," Harry said. Draco hummed in response. 

Quiet filled the room. It was already at least one in the morning, and everyone else had headed off to bed not too long ago. 

Draco shifted. "I should get back to my dorm," he said. 

Harry's stomach twisted. "You could stay here," he said, without really meaning to. 

Draco's head lolled to the side so he could look at Harry. "I'm not sleeping here on the couch, Harry."

Harry looked away. "I know. Sorry." He wasn't going to say what he'd been thinking, about Draco staying in his own bed. That would be too weird. 

"Harry," Draco said softly. "What's going on inside your head?"

Harry shrugged and said nothing. 

"It's painful to watch you think," Draco teased. "Get it over with or tell me what it is."

Harry pulled his knees up to his chest under the blankets and set his chin down on his folded arms. "Why were you my person in the lake?" he blurted. Draco's eyes widened in surprise. "Why not Hermione or Ron?" Harry continued. "How could someone chose which one of you I would miss the most when I love each of you so much?"

Draco said nothing. Harry glanced over at him to see Draco's mouth open in a small 'o' and his eyes opened wide. Harry's heart squeezed in his chest. 

"You love me?" Draco choked out, frozen on the couch. 

Harry blushed furiously. "Well, yeah. You're one of my best friends."

"Best friends," Draco repeated absently. "Right." He turned his gaze away from Harry and back towards the simmering fireplace. 

Harry paused. "So why were you chosen?"

Draco didn't remove his eyes from the fire. "Dunno. Suppose Dumbledore might've done it to support inter-House unity. The other champions had someone from a different House or school, didn't they?"

"Not Fleur," Harry pointed out. 

"Oh, right," Draco said, then nothing else. 

"So...?" Harry gestured for Draco to continue. 

Draco whirled in place to face Harry. "I said _I don't know_ ," Draco snapped. Harry's head jolted back as if he'd been hit across the face. 

"Sorry," Harry muttered.

Draco's shoulders tensed up, and then softened. "No, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have snapped."

"It's okay." Harry shrugged. "I shouldn't have pushed."

"No." Draco waved Harry's words off. "It's good to question those things." He shot a tired grin in Harry's direction. "Hopefully it means I'm rubbing off on you."

Harry snorted. "I doubt that."

"Unfortunately," Draco sighed, "I doubt that as well."

"Draco?" Harry said after several minutes of silence. 

"Mm?"

"Thank you."

"For what?"

Harry took a deep breath. "For the gillyweed. For saving my arse. Pulling me out of the lake." He paused and took another heavy breath. "For being you."

"Oh," Draco whispered. Then, "Harry."

Harry couldn't look at Draco's face. If he did, he might end up doing things he'd regret. Well, he wouldn't regret his actions. But he'd regret it if Draco didn't like it, didn't want him to do those things. 

Draco scooted closer to him on the couch, and Harry glared determinedly at his knees. 

"Harry," Draco said gently. "Look at me."

Harry lifted his head slowly. He couldn't look. Draco murmured his name again. Harry looked. Draco stared at him, his face full of something wonderfully similar to awe. Harry tried to turn his face away again, but Draco caught his chin between cold fingers.

Draco's face was pale and glowing color was flushed across his cheekbones, his nose, his ears. The light from the fire sent flickers of gold over the mussed strands of white blonde hair falling over his forehead. Harry thought he had never seen anything more beautiful. 

Harry leaned in. Their faces were so close, the exhales of their breath melted together. Draco's nose brushed against the side of Harry's. The common room was quiet and empty and warm, and so not present in Harry's mind. As far as he was aware, they could've been drifting through outer space and he wouldn't have noticed. 

Draco's lips skimmed over Harry's, and Harry stopped breathing. 

They weren't touching anywhere else. They sat beside each other, on the same couch, their faces turned toward each others'. Their necks craned over the foot of space between them. 

"Draco," Harry breathed. 

And then Draco's lips pressed into Harry's. Soft, careful. Harry's mouth fell open. Their mouths slotted together. Slow, kind. 

Harry was burning up everywhere. His skin, mouth, cheeks, ribs, toes. Every bit of him was on fire. 

Harry moved closer, and then they were touching. Falling back onto the couch in slow motion. Rolling over each other. Slow. 

Harry was burning, drowning. He let his hands run up Draco's sides, and Draco's fingers melded into the mess of Harry's hair. It was quiet still, the only sounds made by the joining, parting, rejoining of their lips. 

Harry exhaled into Draco's mouth. Draco's hands found Harry's hips and pulled him closer. They tumbled over each other, found new ways to move and touch. 

Draco pulled his face back a little and set his hand on the side of Harry's face, the tips of his fingers swirling idly at the hair at the nape of Harry's neck. 

"Harry," Draco said. 

"Yeah?"

"Thank you." Draco's hand slid over Harry's shoulder. "For being you."

And their mouths came together again. 

**Author's Note:**

> Kudos and comments are appreciated <3


End file.
